Make It Personal

Gone are the days of wearing plainold, store-bought costume jewelry. Today, the trend is to personalize it. And the best part? It’s totally a ordable. Read on to find out some of our favorites that you’re sure to love, too.

This one’s a classic— but with a twist. Sure, you could order a typical family ring with everyone’s birthstone on it. Or, you could order a pendant charm or necklace that’s just as unique as your family. We love Etsy (etsy.com) for any and all personalized or handmade items. Our favorites include the family tree jewelry and charm bracelets.

Now you can take Grandma’s, Mom’s or Dad’s signature or special message of love and have it turned into a keepsake piece of jewelry. Still have the first time your child wrote his or her name? That will work, too! You can check out Etsy for a great variety of options, including engraved bracelets and necklace charms or a pendant composed of the writing itself. Now that’s cool!

Hey, guess what? A quick Etsy search will yield hundreds of examples of handstamped jewelry for your choosing. From inspirational sayings to your children’s birthdates, just about anything can be stamped onto jewelry. Even the guys can get in on the act with fancy-shmancy cufflinks and tie clips. Some popular choices include your kid’s or significant other’s name(s), favorite psalms or nursery rhyme lines. I love you to the moon and back sound familiar? Add birthstones or other bling to jazz it up a bit.

A fan favorite, Origami Owl features “living lockets” in the form of necklaces, bracelets and even watches. With a variety of size options available, the charms, stamped plates and stones are fully customizable. Seriously, the options are endless.

Occupations, hobbies, sports, causes—you name it, there’s a charm for it. Some of our favorites include the new MLB series and the funky summer charms, including fun shapes like fruity drinks, bathing suits, palm trees, watermelon and more. Check out the cute emoji charms as well. The charms are inexpensive, making it easy to change them out according to your mood (or the season). All lockets can be purchased at origamiowl.com, and if you need help crafting the perfect piece, you can locate a designer at origamiowl.com/designsearch.

Free

Available for iOS, Windows, Android

One of the largestgrowing storage apps on the market, this tool is the go-to for storing precious photos, documents, presentations and other important files. Once synced, you can be sure to never lose your files, as they are backed up on all your devices. Oh, and an added bonus: You can share and edit your files with anyone.

Are busy schedules and deadlines costing you time and throwing you into stress overload?

Here are a few apps that have been formulated to set reminders, save documents and ease you into a stress-free bliss. OK, we might be exaggerating a bit, but seriously, these are some cool apps. Check ‘em out!

Free

Available for iOS and Android

Short for “if this, then that,” this productivity app is an ingenious way of connecting your favorite apps together. If, for example, you join your Instagram to your Gmail, any picture you post will automatically be sent to your email. With so many collaborations available to suit your needs, it’s the newest fast and easy way to save and share social media files.

Free

Android, iOS and desktop

This all-in-one productivity booster keeps all your calendars, lists and presentations in one place. You can easily create documents and collaborate with others to help GTD (get things done). And with access to your notes on any device, you never have to worry about forgetting that spreadsheet for your next budget meeting. Whew!

Free

Available for iOS and Android

Organizing your finances can be frustrating and time consuming. With the Mint app, you can access your bank accounts quickly and create custom budgets to help you save and be successful. Notifications are also sent to your device for any unusual spending, keeping you worry-free and your bank accounts full.

Free

Available for all platforms

Do you have a strong desire to get things done on time? Wunderlist enables you to create todo lists and set due dates and reminders for yourself so everything is done on time. You can also manage your lists with friends and colleagues with just a click of a button. Making a list and checking it twice has never been easier.

Chase your dream vacation. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offers one of the best rewards in terms of travel points. From your signup date, you can earn 50,000 points if you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months. That’s equivalent to $625 toward your next flight or hotel stay. Can you say hello, piña coladas? And, as an added bonus, you earn double the points on any dining and travel expenses.

AdVenture is out there! This may seem like a simple travel card, but the Capital One Venture card is heavy in rewards. This card is perfect for those with an appetite for exploration. With every dollar you spend you earn two miles points, which can be redeemed at any time for travel rewards.

Discover the world. This new travel card from Discover offers 1.5 mile points for every dollar spent on purchases. And at the end of your first year, they’ll match the points you’ve earned! That’s equivalent to three times the miles on all purchases. For those of us who can’t take time off to travel, no worries mate! You can redeem your miles for some cha-ching, too! And there’s nothing better than money in your pocket, right?

Bank Americard the beautiful. The Bank Americard Travel Rewards credit card is a great option if you’re trying to rack up mile points. Like the Discover card, you earn 1.5 points on every dollar spent. One difference, however, is that there isn’t an expiration date for when you can use the points you earn. In other words, go ahead and start saving for that summer beach trip with the kiddos. Another plus to this card? There are no blackout dates or restrictions, and if you’re already a Bank of America customer, you earn an extra 10 percent in points on every purchase.

The following are some of our top contenders for credit cards that o er the best bang for your buck, whether you’re traveling abroad or to the grocery store.

FREEEDOOOOM! Did you read that in Mel Gibson’s voice? Good, because Chase’s Freedom Rewards card is ranked as the best cash back credit card from thesimpledollar.com, as it o ers 5 percent cash back. There’s also quarterly cash back opportunities, so you can earn rewards all year long. And with zero percent APR for 15 months and no annual fees, there’s endless possibilities for you to save without putting your pocketbook on the chopping block.

ALL ABOARD THE AMERICAN EXPRESS. If you’re looking for a card that will provide the most perks, the Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express provides users with 25,000 membership rewards points if you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first three months. This card is ideal for everyday purchases like gas and groceries (double the points) and also for frequent travelers. The great thing about these rewards is that they can be redeemed for hotel stays, airfare, statement credit and merchandise. Next stop: savings station!